Eleanor… Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough…Eleanor.

Park… He knows she’ll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There’s a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises…Park.

Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.

Rating:

OH MY GOSH, you guys. I AM… IN LOVE with these characters. It has been a long, long time since I have come across characters as original as these. I was glad to see Rainbow Rowell produce such relate-able characters, that keep you wanting to know more about their story.

Eleanor is so unique, with a strong personality built up through everything she has been through. The way Rowell describes these teenagers, provides a vivid picture. I can’t help but think back in my time in high school and wondering how an Eleanor would have felt back then. Or even how I would have felt to be her. I have to admit, I was longing for this character to be made over. (Along with many other characters in the story.) But that really says a lot about how heroines are typically persevered. Eleanor is a testament to the young adult book world! You don’t need a slim figure or perfect wardrobe to be someone to admire.

Park, on the other hand, is the typical mysterious and good-looking guy. He has various females swooning over him. Yet, as we learn quickly, Park isn’t like the others. He stands out from the rest of his high school gang of friends.

These characters just show us that there is way more than meets the eye. They remind us not to judge people before getting to know them. I know that high school can be a cruel place, but the friendships we build have the potential to support us through things we may not be able to get through alone.

The way the book is written really enticed me more. I couldn’t put it down. Each chapter is laid out with neither Park or Eleanor narrating, providing us with each character perspective. I LOVED reading how each character interpreted the situation. It was also very much a romantic love story, demonstrating how consumed these characters became with one an other. It really describes the experience of first love the way I remember it. Irrational and scary, but like nothing else matters.

I would say that one of the down falls of the book was the storyline behind Eleanor’s family problems. (I don’t want to give too much away.) However, I did not really believe that the ending was that realistic.

With that aside, I NEED more of Eleanor and Park. I’m hoping we get some really soon.

I really want to read this one! I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed it because one of my friends super did not enjoy it (which baffles me because it’s Rowell) but yayy now I feel more inclined to pick it up 😄